Loyola University Maryland will play its final game of 2011 on Wednesday, December 28, when it takes on Bucknell University at 7 p.m. in Lewisburg, Pa., at Sojka Pavilion.

Both the Greyhounds and Bison are coming off six-day layoffs for Christmas after they both played on December 22, Bucknell at Boston University and Loyola at the third-ranked Kentucky Wildcats.

Series History

Bucknell and Loyola will play for the seventh time on Wednesday. The Bison lead the all-time series 5-1 after defeating the Greyhounds 70-59 a year ago to the date of this game.

The teams played in 1986-1987 and 1987-1988, and then twice during the 1992-1993 campaign, with Bucknell winning each time.

Loyola snapped the skid against the Bison with a 55-49 win in Lewisburg on December 28, 2009.

Road Warriors

Wednesday’s game will close a six-game road swing for the Greyhounds. They have not played at Reitz Arena since defeating Marist in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener on Thursday, December 1.

Loyola is 3-2 on the current slate of road games, winning the first three before falling at St. Bonaventure and Kentucky.

The Greyhounds return to Baltimore for the first of three-straight home games on Monday, January 2, to play Niagara.

Back-to-Back Tournament Teams

For the only time this season, Loyola will be facing teams that appeared in the 2011 NCAA Tournament in consecutive games.

Both teams bowed out to eventual National Champion Connecticut, Bucknell falling 81-52 in the West Region First Round, while Kentucky lost 56-55 in the Final Four.

Highest Ranked Opponent

Loyola took on Kentucky on December 22 in Rupp Arena when the Wildcats were ranked No. 3 in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls.

The Wildcats’ No. 3 rankings matches the highest-ranked opponent Loyola has faced in program history, equalling that of Kansas in January 2008.

Kentucky’s announced crowd of 22,774 was the largest a Loyola athletics team has ever played in front of.

Switching It Up

Jimmy Patsos started the sixth different lineup combination of the season last Thursday against Kentucky when forwards Jordan Latham and Shane Walker and guards Dylon Cormier, Justin Drummond and Robert Olson were in the starting five.

Latham and Drummond both made the second starts of their careers. Latham also started the season opener at Wake Forest, and Drummond opened the game Florida Gulf Coast game.

Back To Form

After scoring fewer than 10 points for back-to-back games at Mount St. Mary’s and St. Bonaventure, the first time he was in single digits since January, Erik Etherly posted a double-double at Kentucky with team highs of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The double-double was Etherly’s fifth this season and ninth of his career. His most recent feat came on December 7 at George Washington when he scored 12 and matched his career-best with 15 rebounds.

Etherly has scored in double figures in 20 of the Greyhounds’ last 22 games, going back to January 28, 2011, against Siena. In those 22 games, Etherly has averaged 14 points per contest.

Slowing Lamb

Entering the December 22 game against the Greyhounds, Preseason All-SEC and Dick Vitale Solid Gold selection Doron Lamb was leading the Wildcats at 16.7 points per game.

Loyola held the sophomore to nine points and limited him to just five shots (he entered averaging 11 field goals attempted) in 31 minutes of action. The nine points were his second-lowest of the season and came two days after he scored a season-best 26 points against Samford.

Low TOs

Loyola and Kentucky combined for just 19 turnovers in Lexington, and the Greyhounds matched their season-low with only nine.

The Greyhounds have posted just nine turnovers in three of their last five games, all coming on the current swing of games away from Reitz Arena – at Siena, Mount St. Mary’s and Kentucky.

Latham Continues Contributions

Jordan Latham has seen increased playing time in the last three Loyola games, seeing 18 minutes of action at Mount St. Mary’s and 17 at both St. Bonaventure and Kentucky, the top three totals of his career.

He scored just two points at The Mount and four at St. Bonaventure, but his size, effort and solid defense were noted by the coaches, leading to increased time on the floor. Latham then tallied a career-high seven points against the Wildcats.

Latham is a new addition to the Loyola side this season after transferring during the offseason from Xavier. He was granted an NCAA waiver and will be immediately eligible to play for the Greyhounds in 2011-2012 rather than having to sit out the typical year-in-residency.

Latham returned to his home city when joining the Greyhounds. The 6-foot-8 forward played high school basketball a mere 2.5 miles from Loyola’s campus at the storied Baltimore City College, a high school that has produced two sitting U.S. Congressmen (Elijah Cummings, D-Md.; Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.) and a U.S. Senator (Ben Cardin D-Md.).

Last Time Out

Loyola cut No. 3 Kentucky’s lead to four points on the first possession of the second half on an Erik Etherly dunk, but the Wildcats fended off the challenge and eventually went on a 15-2 run en route to a 87-63 victory.

Twice in the first half, Kentucky appeared ready to break the game wide open. The Wildcats scored nine straight after Dylon Cormier’s opening bucket, but Loyola then reeled off six-straight to make it a 9-8 game. Later, Marquis Teague made two free throws to put Kentucky up 33-23 only to see Loyola pull within a pair, 33-31, on an Etherly dunk with 4:30 remaining in the half.

Streak Snapped

St. Bonaventure University defeated Loyola 76-6, snapping the Greyhounds’ eight-game winning streak. Loyola had reeled off the span of wins since falling in its season-opener at Wake Forest.

The winning streak was the longest in the school’s NCAA Division I history (since 1981-82), and it is the longest since the 1964-1965 team won eight in a row during January and February.

Drummond’s Career Day

Justin Drummond put together a career-high scoring effort in the Greyhounds’ loss at St. Bonaventure, finishing with 26 points to eclipse the 22 he scored last February against Canisius.

Drummond, who came off the bench and played 32 minutes, made 10-of-19 shots, both of his 3-point attempts and all four of his free throws. He also led Loyola with five rebounds.

Drummond spread his 26 points evenly between the two halves, scoring 13 in each. He scored six-straight points as Loyola held the Bonnies scoreless for over two minutes in the second half, trimming St. Bonaventure’s advantage from 12 to six with 4:06 to play.

First Time With One

St. Bonaventure limited Loyola’s scorers, holding all players under 10 points, save for Justin Drummond’s 26. It was the first time this season that just one player was in double figures and just the third time (George Washington and Mount St. Mary’s) that less than three have tallied 10 or more.

Honors Abound For Cormier

Loyola sophomore guard Dylon Cormier picked up a couple of awards for his recent play, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Jesuit Basketball Spotlight National Player of the Week honors on December 12, both for the first time in his career.

Cormier averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over George Washington University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

This season, Cormier leads Loyola in scoring (16.8), 3-point percentage (.424) and steals (1.8) and is third in rebounding (5.0).

Walker Off And Running At Mount

Shane Walker scored his first five points of the game last Saturday at Mount St. Mary’s from the free-throw line, but he made a 3-pointer from the top left of the arc with less than five seconds to go in the first half, pushing the Greyhounds’ lead to seven at the break.

In the second half, he continued his scoring effort, tallying 12 of his team-high 20 points in the second 20 minute stretch. He made another three and finished the game 10-of-13 from the charity stripe, setting career-highs in free throws made and attempted.

Walker’s 20 points were a season-high, and the game marked the eighth time in nine games this year he has scored 10 or more.

His only sub 10-point outing came one game earlier when he scored just four points at George Washington. Both of his field goals against the Colonials were big ones, however. The first came after George Washington cut Loyola’s one-time 20-point advantage to just eight with 5:18 to play, and the momentum appeared to have shifted to the Colonials. On the ensuing possession, R.J. Williams misfired on a jumper, but Walker came from the weak side to grab the rebound and lay it off the glass for his first points.

Minutes later, Walker took advantage of a mismatch at the top of the perimeter and drove down the right side of the lane, laying another basket off the backboard to put Loyola up 15 in the final 90 seconds.

He also had a season-best nine rebounds against George Washington.

Big Shots From Bobby

Robert Olson was just a point behind Shane Walker for team-high honors at Mount St. Mary’s, finishing with a season-high 19. He was 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the arc.

He scored 16 of his points after halftime, making a three 43 ticks in after the Mountaineers had cut Loyola’s lead to four. He then had a traditional 3-point play and one from behind the arc in consecutive possessions with less than five minutes left to push the Greyhounds lead to 12 on two occasions.

Timing Was Right

Justin Drummond scored all nine of his points in the first half at Mount St. Mary’s, although he did not make his first two field goals until less than 90 seconds were left in the stanza.

Aggressive play by Drummond, on the offensive glass and driving to the basket, put Drummond at the free throw line for six attempts, of which he made five, in the game’s first 17 minutes.

With under a 90 seconds in the first half, Drummond twice took the ball on the low block, backed his defender down and scored off the glass. His four points were in the middle of a 9-0 run Loyola used to close the half and go from two down to seven up at the break.

Best Start In Division I History

Loyola’s victory against Siena on December 3 moved the Greyhounds’ record to 6-1 and gave the 2011-2012 team the best start in school Division I history, improving on the 5-1 start the Greyhounds achieved in 2005-2006.

The Greyhounds also are 2-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time in the 23 years in the league.

Back-To-Back Career Nights

Dylon Cormier tied his previous career-high of 20 points against both Coppin State and UMBC earlier this season, matching the amount he scored last season as a freshman, also against UMBC.

He recorded his third 20-point effort of the season on December 3 at Siena, scoring 22, and he set another career-high one game later with a game-best 26 in the win over George Washington.

This season, Cormier has averaged 18.3 points per game through eight games, scoring 15 or more five times. Last season, Cormier scored 10 or more in 12 games, something he has already done eight times this year.

His points have come in a variety of ways. At Siena, he knocked down 5-of-6 threes, while against the Colonials, he posted 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Earlier in the year, he scored 20 at UMBC behind a 15-of-17 effort from the charity stripe.

Cormier also registered a career-best nine rebounds against George Washington.

Threes Starting To Fall

After starting the season cold from behind the 3-point arc – the Greyhounds made just 11-of-56 (.196) in their first four games – Loyola has seemingly reversed the trend, making 44-of-107 (.411) in its last six contests. The numbers were buoyed by 8-of-15 (.533) and 6-of-11 (.545) performances against Florida Gulf Coast and George Washington, respectively.

Crashing The Boards

Loyola has outrebounded opponents by 43 this season, 405-362, through 11 games this season.

The Greyhounds’ advantage has been even more dramatic on the offensive glass where they have outrebounded opponents, 165-119. They have pulled down offensive boards on nearly 50-percent of missed shots this season.

Loyola’s 23 rebounds at St. Bonaventure were the fewest by the Greyhounds this season, and the -12 is the biggest deficit they have seen in the rebounding battle this year.

The offensive rebounds have come from guards and forwards. Guard Dylon Cormier and forward Erik Etherly lead the team with 28 each, while guard Justin Drummond has 25, and forward Shane Walker has 24.

Solid MAAC Start

Loyola did something earlier this month it had never accomplished in 22 previous seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Greyhounds went 2-0 in their first two league games, defeating Marist at home and Siena on the road.

The Greyhounds also won their conference opener for the first time since 2005-2006, marking just the fourth time in 23 seasons they were 1-0 in the MAAC.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Consistency Is The Key

Up until the George Washington win, three Loyola players – Dylon Cormier (13, 20, 20, 16, 14, 15, 22), Shane Walker (12, 15, 12, 15, 10, 11, 10) and Erik Etherly (11, 15, 27, 11, 15, 14, 11) have scored in double figures in each of the Greyhounds’ first seven games, something never accomplished by the same three players in the program’s Division I history.

Walker was held to just four against the Colonials, but Cormier finished with 26, and Etherly had 12.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

Spreading The Wealth

Five Loyola players scored in double figures in the Marist contest, the second time this season (Coppin State) the Greyhounds have had five score 10 or more.

In the first seven games of the season, at least three Loyola players have scored 10 or more in every game, and in all but one, four or more have topped the 10-point mark.

In the Greyhounds’ January 30 victory last year over Iona, six players scored in double-figures, and the team’s top two scorers at the time did not even dress for the contest. It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Opponent

Run

Start

Finish

Coppin State

10-1, 4:26

31-32, 1:36 (1)

41-33, 17:11 (2)

UMBC

16-4, 8:08

35-31, 19:16 (2)

51-34, 11:08 (2)

FGCU

22-5, 6:53

15-16, 8:08 (1)

37-21, 1:11 (1)

Marist

9-0, 1:50

47-48, 11:16 (2)

56-48, 9:26 (2)

Marist

15-3, 5:47

61-57, 6:03 (2)

76-60, :16 (2)

Siena

13-0; 4:27

0-2, 19:28 (1)

13-2; 15:35 (1)

Geo. Wash.

17-0; 3:58

18-19, 6:28 (1)

34-19, 2:30 (1)

The Mount

9-0, 1:55

24-26, 1:59 (1)

33-26, :04 (1)

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Loyola All-Time Coaching Wins List

1.

349

Lefty Reitz

1937-1944, 1945-1961

2.

165

Nap Doherty

1961-1974

3.

106

Jimmy Patsos

2004-present

4.

85

Mark Amatucci

1982-1989

5.

72

Gary Dicovitsky

1976-1981

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Men’s & Women’s Coaches With 100

Loyola University Maryland is one of just 26 mid-major schools that has men’s and women’s basketball coaches with 100 or more victories at their current school after Greyhound women’s coach Joe Logan got his 100th on December 18 in a win at George Washington.

Loyola is the only school in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to have accomplished the feat, and it is one of only five institutions at which the coaches have both won 100 or more games in 10 or fewer seasons.

Two Over Twenty

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both hit, or exceeded, the 20-point plateau at UMBC with Etherly scoring 27 and Cormier chipping in 20.

It marked the first time since January 3, 2009, a stretch of 80 games, that a pair of Greyhounds scored 20 in the same game. On that date, Jamal Barney poured in 41 at Canisius, while Brett Harvey had 22.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

UMBC faces its first nationally-ranked opponent in over a year when the Retrievers meet Indiana for the first time at famed Assembly Hall on Thursday, Dec. 22. UMBC’s took on 2011 national champion Connecticut on Dec. 3, 2010, falling, 94-61, to the Huskies. Tip-off time is set for 6:00 p.m. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN3 with Steve Andress and Perry Clark on the call.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC staged a furious rally, coming back from 14 points down and seven minutes to play and took visiting Rider to overtime on Dec. 17, but the Broncs prevailed, 73-66 in extra time. In a pair of home losses last week, UMBC amassed 51 offensive rebounds, but shot less than 32 percent from the floor in both setbacks. Sophomore forward Chase Plummer (14.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg) has recorded three consecutive double-doubles and was named America East Conference Player of the Week.

HOOSIER UPDATE: No. 17/18 Indiana (11-0) has been dominant, opening with a 96-66 win over America East member Stony Brook and, most recently, pounding Howard, 107-50 on Dec. 19. In between, they have wins over N.C. State , Notre Dame and No. 1 Kentucky (73-72). Five Hoosiers average in double figures, led by 6’11” freshman post Cody Zeller at 15.3 ppg. He is shooting 65.6% (61-of-93) from the floor, while junior guard Jordan Hulls (11.7 ppg) is hitting 58.5 percent (24-of-41) from behind the arc.

Who’s Up Next: UMBC completes the 2011 portion of the schedule at Niagara University on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

UMBC vs. the big ten: The Retrievers are 1-11 against the current membership of the Big Ten, with the lone win occurring at new member Nebraska in December of 2008.

The 66-64 win over the Cornhuskers on Dec.23, 2008 snapped the nation’s eighth-longest non-conference winning streak at the time. It still stands as UMBC’s top victory from an RPI perspective, as NU was ranked No. 53 at the time.

UMBC’s most recent contest vs. a Big Ten foe occurred in the 2009-10 season, when they fell at Penn State, 58-42.

* Sophomore Quentin Jones is expected to start his eighth consecutive game at Indiana. The local product (Mount St. Joseph) and junior college transfer (Wallace State-Ala.) is a walk-on to the program and started the season at No. 4 on the depth chart at point guard. But with injuries to freshmen Jarrel Lane (has not played in eight games to date) and Joey Getz (injured in game No. 3 vs. Loyola) and the departure of De La Rosa, Jones continues to quarterback the team and has produced 4.6 points per game.

* UMBC dropped its third consecutive season opener in the 59-45 loss to Penn on Nov. 11, 2011.

* UMBC did not hit a 3-point field goal vs. Penn, going without a trey for the ninth time in school history. The last time UMBC did not convert from behind the arc was Dec. 30, 2008 at Saint Louis.

* UMBC’s win at Towson on Dec. 10 snapped a 13-game slide dating back to the 2010-11 campaign. The last victory was a 84-79 decision at Maine on Feb. 6, 2011. The Retrievers are looking to break a seven-game home losing streak which extends back to a Feb. 3, 2011 victory over visiting Binghamton.

* UMBC has outrebounded eight of its first ten opponents. The Retrievers have collected 156 offensive rebounds through ten games, posting double figures in each. However, UMBC has only 114 second-chance points off of the extra 156 possessions. UMBC’s +3.9 rebound margin is 31st in the nation entering the week and the 40.4 rebuonds per game is tied with Florida and UCSB for 21st place.

* The young lineup is taking its toll on UMBC, as the Retrievers committed a season-high 21 turnovers vs. Loyola, exceeding the 20-turnover margin for the third consecutive game. They have 20 or more miscues in four of ten games to date, but did post a season-low eight vs. Morgan State Dec. 14.

* The Retriever increased their scoring output in each of the first four games, going from 45 to 59 to 63 to 79, but have not reached the 70-point plateau since the 84-79 setback at VMI.

* UMBC’s 53.8 percent marksmanship from the floor at VMI was its best since hitting 32 of 58 (55.2%) at New Hampshire on Feb. 24, 2010.

* UMBC was tied with both VMI and Central Connecticut State with 10:00 on the second-half clock, but failed to produce a victory in either contest.

* The combined record of UMBC’s first seven opponents through Dec. 6 was 33-23 (.589).

* The win over Towson snapped a four-game slide to the Tigers in the 53rd meeting between the schools… It also snapped a streak of 10 consecutive losses to Baltimore-area Division I schools dating back to a Nov. 29, 2007 victory over Morgan State.

* UMBC snared a season high 11 steals vs. Morgan State on Dec. 14. It is the most steals in a game for a Retriever team since capturing 13 vs. Goucher on Dec. 8, 2007.

* The 53 rebounds recorded by the Retrievers vs. Rider was the most by a UMBC team since they corralled 55 vs. Monmouth on Jan. 26, 2002.

Plummer recorded double-doubles vs. Morgan State and Rider in games on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17 respectively. He has produced double-doubles in his last three games and four of ten on the season.

The young team co-captain scored a career-high 22 points, including 15 in the second half, and added 11 rebounds in the 73-66 overtime loss to Rider. He posted all but one rebound of his double-double in the second half (11 points, 11 rebounds) vs. Morgan State.

Plummer is the first Retriever to post three consecutive double-doubles since Daryl Proctor did it in February of 2009. He leads the team with 14.2 points and 8.9 rebounds a game, ranking eighth in the league in scoring and second in rebounding.

Loyola University Maryland will return to the court, after taking the week off for final exams, on Sunday, December 18, to take on St. Bonaventure University at 2:30 p.m.

The eight-day layoff the Greyhounds will close is their longest of the season.

Series History

The Greyhounds will be looking for their first-ever win against St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies have won all seven of the previous games.

The teams first met on the hardwood in March 1927, a 33-18 St. Bonaventure victory. The sides met again in 1936-1937 and then not again until Nap Doherty’s Greyhounds took on the Bonnies on December 22, 1967. They met again during the 1969-1970 and 1970-1971 seasons when St. Bonaventure was ranked No. 5 and No. 19 by The Associated Press. Bona’s 1969-1970 team, a squad that advanced to the Final Four with future Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier in his senior year, was the highest-ranked team Loyola would face until playing No. 3 Kansas on January 8, 2008.

Sunday’s game will be the first meeting between the teams since January 27, 1975, a 98-73 St. Bonaventure win.

A Good Run

Since falling at Wake Forest on November 11 in the season-opener, the Greyhounds have reeled off eight-straight victories. The winning streak is the longest in the school’s NCAA Division I history (since 1981-82), and it is the longest since the 1964-1965 team won eight in a row during January and February.

Honors Abound For Cormier

Loyola sophomore guard Dylon Cormier picked up a couple of awards for his recent play last week, earning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week and Jesuit Basketball Spotlight National Player of the Week honors, both for the first time in his career.

Cormier averaged 20.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over George Washington University and Mount St. Mary’s University.

This season, Cormier leads Loyola in scoring (17.8), 3-point percentage (.452), steals (1.9) and is third in rebounding (5.0).

Garnering Attention

Loyola’s eight-game winning streak has received more attention of late from the national media. The Greyhounds were ranked 15th in the latest edition of the ESPN.com Mid-Major Power 15 Rankings, and they checked in at 23rd in the current CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25.

It is the first time Loyola has been ranked in the CollegeInsider.com poll since late in the 2007-2008 season.

The Greyhounds are one of two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams – Iona the other – that is ranked in both polls. The Gaels are 11th on ESPN.com, fifth in the CollegeInsider.com edition.

Walker Off And Running At Mount

Shane Walker scored his first five points of the game last Saturday at Mount St. Mary’s from the free-throw line, but he made a 3-pointer from the top left of the arc with less than five seconds to go in the first half, pushing the Greyhounds’ lead to seven at the break.

In the second half, he continued his scoring effort, tallying 12 of his team-high 20 points in the second 20 minute stretch. He made another three and finished the game 10-of-13 from the charity stripe, setting career-highs in free throws made and attempted.

Walker’s 20 points were a season-high, and the game marked the eighth time in nine games this year he has scored 10 or more.

His only sub 10-point outing came one game earlier when he scored just four points at George Washington. Both of his field goals against the Colonials were big ones, however. The first came after George Washington cut Loyola’s one-time 20-point advantage to just eight with 5:18 to play, and the momentum appeared to have shifted to the Colonials. On the ensuing possession, R.J. Williams misfired on a jumper, but Walker came from the weak side to grab the rebound and lay it off the glass for his first points.

Minutes later, Walker took advantage of a mismatch at the top of the perimeter and drove down the right side of the lane, laying another basket off the backboard to put Loyola up 15 in the final 90 seconds.

He also had a season-best nine rebounds against George Washington.

Big Shots From Bobby

Robert Olson was just a point behind Shane Walker for team-high honors at Mount St. Mary’s, finishing with a season-high 19. He was 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the arc.

He scored 16 of his points after halftime, making a three 43 ticks in after the Mountaineers had cut Loyola’s lead to four. He then had a traditional 3-point play and one from behind the arc in consecutive possessions with less than five minutes left to push the Greyhounds lead to 12 on two occasions.

Doing It On Defense

Mount St. Mary’s pulled within five points, 46-41, with 9:01 left in the second half last Saturday, but the Greyhounds defense keyed their next run.

Loyola went on a modest 7-0 run that covered four minutes, 20 seconds, but the forced a Mount turnover and did not allow an offensive rebound during the stretch. On the offensive end, the Greyhounds scored on three of five possessions, using a good chunk of the shot clock each time.

Timing Was Right

Justin Drummond scored all nine of his points in the first half at Mount St. Mary’s, although he did not make his first two field goals until less than 90 seconds were left in the stanza.

Aggressive play by Drummond, on the offensive glass and driving to the basket, put Drummond at the free throw line for six attempts, of which he made five, in the game’s first 17 minutes.

With under a 90 seconds in the first half, Drummond twice took the ball on the low block, backed his defender down and scored off the glass. His four points were in the middle of a 9-0 run Loyola used to close the half and go from two down to seven up at the break.

Streak Snapped

Erik Etherly did not score on Saturday at Mount St. Mary’s, marking the first time in 39 games at Loyola the forward has been held without a point. It also snapped a 19-game streak of scoring 10 or more points for Etherly.

Best Start In Division I History

Loyola’s victory against Siena on December 3 moved the Greyhounds’ record to 6-1 and gave the 2011-2012 team the best start in school Division I history, improving on the 5-1 start the Greyhounds achieved in 2005-2006.

The Greyhounds also are 2-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time in the 23 years in the league.

Last Time Out

Mount St. Mary’s came out strong in the 167th all-time meeting between the teams, taking a five point lead in the first half, but Loyola scored the final nine points of the frame to go up by seven on a Shane Walker three with four ticks left on the clock.

Julian Norfleet pulled The Mount to within four on two occasions early in the second half, but Robert Olson made one of his three 3-pointers the first time, and a 5-0 mini-run fueled by four Shane Walker points pulled the Greyhounds further in front.

Norfleet led all scorers with 23, but Walker was close behind with 20, and Olson had 19. Dylon Cormier added 15, while Anthony Winbush led all players with eight rebounds, a season-high.

Back-To-Back Career Nights

Dylon Cormier tied his previous career-high of 20 points against both Coppin State and UMBC earlier this season, matching the amount he scored last season as a freshman, also against UMBC.

He recorded his third 20-point effort of the season on December 3 at Siena, scoring 22, and he set another career-high one game later with a game-best 26 in the win over George Washington.

This season, Cormier has averaged 18.3 points per game through eight games, scoring 15 or more five times. Last season, Cormier scored 10 or more in 12 games, something he has already done eight times this year.

His points have come in a variety of ways. At Siena, he knocked down 5-of-6 threes, while against the Colonials, he posted 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Earlier in the year, he scored 20 at UMBC behind a 15-of-17 effort from the charity stripe.

Cormier also registered a career-best nine rebounds against George Washington.

Doubled Up

Erik Etherly posted his second double-double in three games, scoring 12 points to go with a career-high tying 15 rebounds at George Washington. This season, Etherly has double-doubles in half of the Greyhounds’ eight games, and all four have come in victories. Wednesday night’s effort was the ninth of his career.

Up to and including that game, Etherly scored in double-figures for 19-straight games, starting January 28, 2011, against Siena. In those 19 games, Etherly averaged 14.3 points per game.

Threes Starting To Fall

After starting the season cold from behind the 3-point arc – the Greyhounds made just 11-of-56 (.196) in their first four games – Loyola has seemingly reversed the trend, making 35-of-77 (.454) in its last five contests.

The Greyhounds were 6-of-16 (.375) against Florida Gulf Coast, 8-of-15 (.533) in the Marist tilt, 8-of-19 (.421) at Siena, a season-best 6-of-11 (.545) at George Washington and 7-of-16 (.438) at Mount St. Mary’s.

During the last five contests, Dylon Cormier has made 10-of-16 (.625) 3-pointers, while Robert Olson has hit 10-of-23 (435). R.J. Williams is 4-of-7 (.571); Justin Drummond, 5-of-12 (.417); and Shane Walker, 5-of-15 (.333).

Crashing The Boards

Loyola has outrebounded opponents by 63 this season, 352-289, through nine games, an average of 7.0 per contest.

The Greyhounds’ advantage has been even more dramatic on the offensive glass where they have outrebounded opponents, 143-101. They have pulled down offensive boards on nearly 50-percent of missed shots this season.

Last Saturday’s eight offensive rebounds against Mount. St. Mary’s were the fewest Loyola has had this season and the first time it has grabbed less than 13 offensive boards.

The offensive rebounds have come from guards and forwards. Dylon Cormier, Shane Walker and Erik Etherly lead the team with 23 each, while Justin Drummond is right behind with 22. Anthony Winbush has 12.

Productive Minutes For Latham

Jordan Latham played a career-high 18 minutes for Loyola in the frontcourt at Mount St. Mary’s. While the 6-foot-8 forward scored just two points, he played solid interior defense for the Greyhounds that included swatting a shot into the third row of the stands.

Latham is a new addition to the Loyola side this season after transferring during the offseason from Xavier. He was granted an NCAA waiver and will be immediately eligible to play for the Greyhounds in 2011-2012 rather than having to sit out the typical year-in-residency.

Latham returned to his home city when joining the Greyhounds. The 6-foot-8 forward played high school basketball a mere 2.5 miles from Loyola’s campus at the storied Baltimore City College, a high school that has produced two sitting U.S. Congressmen (Elijah Cummings, D-Md.; Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.) and a U.S. Senator (Ben Cardin D-Md.).

Stopping A Scorer

The Greyhounds’ scouting report heading into the George Washington game focused on stopping the Colonials’ leading scorer, Tony Taylor. Mission accomplished.

The Greyhounds yielded just six points to Taylor, who averaged more than 15 per game entering the contest. Taylor, who was also honored before the game for recently scoring his 1,000th career point, made just 3-of-8 shot attempts and was held with a 3-point make.

Solid MAAC Start

Loyola did something earlier this month it had never accomplished in 22 previous seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Greyhounds went 2-0 in their first two league games, defeating Marist at home and Siena on the road.

The Greyhounds also won their conference opener for the first time since 2005-2006, marking just the fourth time in 23 seasons they were 1-0 in the MAAC.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Consistency Is The Key

Up until the George Washington win, three Loyola players – Dylon Cormier (13, 20, 20, 16, 14, 15, 22), Shane Walker (12, 15, 12, 15, 10, 11, 10) and Erik Etherly (11, 15, 27, 11, 15, 14, 11) have scored in double figures in each of the Greyhounds’ first seven games, something never accomplished by the same three players in the program’s Division I history.

Walker was held to just four against the Colonials, but Cormier finished with 26, and Etherly had 12.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

R.J. Racks Up More Minutes

Freshman R.J. Williams made the first start of his collegiate career on November 20 at New Hampshire and has started the four games since then, playing 31 or more minutes in each.

With the increased playing time, Williams has also seen more productivity. After scoring eight points in the first four games of the season, he has scored eight versus both Florida Gulf Coast and Marist. Against the Red Foxes, he finished with a career-high six assists, the most by a Loyola player this season.

Four of Williams’ assists came in the final 11:16 of the game as Loyola outscored Marist, 29-15, during that stretch.

Williams continued his solid play against Siena, dishing out four assists to go with six points and a career-high five steals.

Spreading The Wealth

Five Loyola players scored in double figures in the Marist contest, the second time this season (Coppin State) the Greyhounds have had five score 10 or more.

In the first seven games of the season, at least three Loyola players have scored 10 or more in every game, and in all but one, four or more have topped the 10-point mark.

In the Greyhounds’ January 30 victory last year over Iona, six players scored in double-figures, and the team’s top two scorers at the time did not even dress for the contest. It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Opponent

Run

Start

Finish

Coppin State

10-1, 4:26

31-32, 1:36 (1)

41-33, 17:11 (2)

UMBC

16-4, 8:08

35-31, 19:16 (2)

51-34, 11:08 (2)

FGCU

22-5, 6:53

15-16, 8:08 (1)

37-21, 1:11 (1)

Marist

9-0, 1:50

47-48, 11:16 (2)

56-48, 9:26 (2)

Marist

15-3, 5:47

61-57, 6:03 (2)

76-60, :16 (2)

Siena

13-0; 4:27

0-2, 19:28 (1)

13-2; 15:35 (1)

Geo. Wash.

17-0; 3:58

18-19, 6:28 (1)

34-19, 2:30 (1)

The Mount

9-0, 1:55

24-26, 1:59 (1)

33-26, :04 (1)

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Loyola All-Time Coaching Wins List

1.

349

Lefty Reitz

1937-1944, 1945-1961

2.

165

Nap Doherty

1961-1974

3.

106

Jimmy Patsos

2004-present

4.

85

Mark Amatucci

1982-1989

5.

72

Gary Dicovitsky

1976-1981

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Two Over Twenty

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both hit, or exceeded, the 20-point plateau at UMBC with Etherly scoring 27 and Cormier chipping in 20.

It marked the first time since January 3, 2009, a stretch of 80 games, that a pair of Greyhounds scored 20 in the same game. On that date, Jamal Barney poured in 41 at Canisius, while Brett Harvey had 22.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Cormier At His Best Against City Competition

Dylon Cormier matched his career-high with 20 points on Monday night in the win over Coppin State, and he matched that total, also finished with that same total on Thursday against UMBC.

The pair of 20-point performances match his freshman-year high of 20, also against UMBC, in the second game of his collegiate career.

Through three games this season, Cormier is averaging 17.3 points after leading the Greyhounds with 13 in the opener against Wake Forest. He is shooting 51.6-percent (16-of-31) from the field, third on the team.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

The Greyhounds continue their current six-game road trip with one more game before Christmas. Loyola will face the nation’s current No. 3 team, Kentucky, in Rupp Arena on Thursday, December 22, at 1 p.m. in a game that will be televised on Fox Sports South and air on many Fox Sports affiliates nationwide.

Comments Off on Loyola Looks To Keep Streak Going Sunday at St. Bonaventure

SET THE SCENE: UMBC will try to follow up its win over local rival Towson on Saturday as they entertain Baltimore neighbor Morgan State at the RAC Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 14. The Retrievers were coming off a nine-day layoff when they took on the Tigers and the Bears have been off since a Dec. 3 contest at Ohio University. Tip-off time is set for 7:05 p.m. All UMBC home basketball games are streamed with multiple cameras and play-by-play on www.umbcretrievers.tv.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC used proficient free throw shooting and blue-collar defense down the stretch to post a 62-58 victory at Towson on Dec. 10. The Retrievers (1-7) hit 10 of 12 free throws and got five consecutive stops in the final 2:10 to rally for its first victory of the campaign. Junior guard Ryan Cook, who has posted double figures in his first three games as a Retrievers, led all scorers with 17 points and sophomore forward Chase Plummer recorded a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.

BEAR UPDATE: Morgan State (0-7) has lost its last four games by a total of 17 points, including a 65-62 loss at USC and, most recently, a 61-53 setback at 5-1 Ohio University. Junior wing DeWayne Jackson (10.7 ppg) led Morgan State at Ohio with 15 points and senior post Kevin Thompson had 13 points and 12 caroms. Thompson leads the squad in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 per game).

I am not a Lyle Lovett fan, but I am a human being. Because I am a human being, I am ABSOLUTELY a fan of this tune. One of the happiest days in my life may have been the day I walked off a hangover into the DC Farmers’ Market and saw a folk band playing the song. If it hadn’t been in DC it would have been the HAPPIEST…

Is there any chance I could go see Bret Michaels and skip everything besides this?

I saw the Pietasters most recently at Artscape this summer. They were fantastic. They always are.

Virginia Coalition is ABSOLUTELY the best band you’re not listening to. Unless you’re not listening to U2. There aren’t people that don’t listen to U2, are there?

Loyola University Maryland and Mount St. Mary’s University will renew the oldest college basketball rivalry in the State of Maryland on Saturday, December 10, when the Mountaineers host the Greyhounds at 2 o’clock.

Series History

Loyola and Mount St Mary’s will play for the 167th time in series history on Saturday in a rivalry that dates to January 20, 1910, the second season of basketball at Loyola.

The Greyhounds won the initial meeting between the teams, 35-24, but The Mount holds a 96-70 advantage all-time.

In addition to being the oldest series in state history – it predates Loyola-Maryland by two seasons – it is also the most-played. The 166 meetings exceed the 150 between Johns Hopkins and McDaniel (formerly Western Maryland), a series that started in 1930.

Last season, Loyola snapped a modest three-game winning streak by the Mount, defeating the Mountaineers, 65-42, in Baltimore. Shane Walked led all players with 22 points and logged a double-double with 10 rebounds, while Erik Etherly scored 17 points and was a rebound shy of a double-double himself. No Mount players scored more than eight points.

Back On The Tube

Saturday’s game at The Mount is the third-straight Greyhounds’ game to be televised and the second in a row on MASN.

Longtime University of Maryland announcer Johnny Holliday will call the play-by-play action, and former Georgetown University head coach Craig Esherick will provide the color analysis for the second game in a row.

A Good Run

Since falling at Wake Forest on November 11 in the season-opener, the Greyhounds have reeled off seven-straight victories. The winning streak is the longest in the school’s NCAA Division I history (since 1981-82), and it is the longest since the 1964-1965 team won eight in a row during January and February.

Best Start In Division I History

Loyola’s victory against Siena last Saturday moved the Greyhounds’ record to 6-1 and gave the 2011-2012 team the best start in school Division I history. The win at George Washington extended the mark, improving on the 5-1 start the Greyhounds achieved in 2005-2006.

The Greyhounds also are 2-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for the first time in the 23 years in the league.

Back-To-Back Career Nights

Dylon Cormier tied his previous career-high of 20 points against both Coppin State and UMBC earlier this season, matching the amount he scored last season as a freshman, also against UMBC.

He recorded his third 20-point effort of the season on December 3 at Siena, scoring 22, and he set another career-high one game later with a game-best 26 in the win over George Washington.

This season, Cormier has averaged 18.3 points per game through eight games, scoring 15 or more five times. Last season, Cormier scored 10 or more in 12 games, something he has already done eight times this year.

His points have come in a variety of ways. At Siena, he knocked down 5-of-6 threes, while against the Colonials, he posted 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Earlier in the year, he scored 20 at UMBC behind a 15-of-17 effort from the charity stripe.

Cormier also registered a career-best nine rebounds against George Washington.

Doubled Up

Erik Etherly posted his second double-double in three games, scoring 12 points to go with a career-high tying 15 rebounds at George Washington. This season, Etherly has double-doubles in half of the Greyhounds’ eight games, and all four have come in victories. Wednesday night’s effort was the ninth of his career.

Etherly has now scored in double-figures for 19-straight games, starting January 28, 2011, against Siena. In those 19 games, Etherly is averaging 14.3 points per game.

Four Big Points

Shane Walker had a season-low four points on 2-of-7 shooting Wednesday night at George Washington, but he tied his season-high with nine rebounds, five coming on the offensive glass.

Walker’s four points, however, came with great timing for the Greyhounds. George Washington cut Loyola’s one-time 20-point advantage to just eight with 5:18 to play, and the momentum appeared to have shifted to the Colonials. On the ensuing possession, R.J. Williams misfired on a jumper, but Walker came from the weak side to grab the rebound and lay it off the glass for his first points.

Minutes later, Walker took advantage of a mismatch at the top of the perimeter and drove down the right side of the lane, laying another basket off the backboard to put Loyola up 15 in the final 90 seconds.

Last Time Out

After trailing by seven in the first six minutes of play, George Washington rallied to go up, 19-18, on a Lasan Kromah three with 6:49 left in the first half. Twenty-one seconds later, however, R.J. Williams was fouled and made two free throws, starting a 17-0 Loyola run.

The run lasted less than four minutes, but Loyola took a 15-point lead on a Justin Drummond three with 2:30 left before the break, and the Colonials would cut their deficit to less than 10 just once, and Loyola went on to a 65-55 victory.

Dylon Cormier led all players with a career-high 26 points, while Erik Etherly scored 12 and had 15 rebounds.

Threes Starting To Fall

After starting the season cold from behind the 3-point arc – the Greyhounds made just 11-of-56 (.196) in their first four games – Loyola has seemingly reversed the trend, making 28-of-61 (.459) in its last four contests.

The Greyhounds were 6-of-16 (.375) against Florida Gulf Coast, 8-of-15 (.533) in the Marist tilt, 8-of-19 (.421) at Siena and a season-best 6-of-11 (.545) at George Washington.

Robert Olson led the way against the Eagles and Red Foxes, making 5-of-8, while Dylon Cormier was 5-of-6 against the Saints. Cormier and Olson both made 2-of-3 at George Washington.

Stopping A Scorer

The Greyhounds’ scouting report heading into the George Washington game focused on stopping the Colonials’ leading scorer, Tony Taylor. Mission accomplished.

The Greyhounds yielded just six points to Taylor, who averaged more than 15 per game entering the contest. Taylor, who was also honored before the game for recently scoring his 1,000th career point, made just 3-of-8 shot attempts and was held with a 3-point make.

Solid MAAC Start

Loyola did something last week it had never accomplished in 22 previous seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Greyhounds went 2-0 in their first two league games, defeating Marist at home and Siena on the road.

The Greyhounds also won their conference opener for the first time since 2005-2006, marking just the fourth time in 23 seasons they were 1-0 in the MAAC.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Consistency Is The Key

Up until the George Washington win, three Loyola players – Dylon Cormier (13, 20, 20, 16, 14, 15, 22), Shane Walker (12, 15, 12, 15, 10, 11, 10) and Erik Etherly (11, 15, 27, 11, 15, 14, 11) have scored in double figures in each of the Greyhounds’ first seven games, something never accomplished by the same three players in the program’s Division I history.

Walker was held to just four against the Colonials, but Cormier finished with 26, and Etherly had 12.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

R.J. Racks Up More Minutes

Freshman R.J. Williams made the first start of his collegiate career on November 20 at New Hampshire and has started the four games since then, playing 31 or more minutes in each.

With the increased playing time, Williams has also seen more productivity. After scoring eight points in the first four games of the season, he has scored eight versus both Florida Gulf Coast and Marist. Against the Red Foxes, he finished with a career-high six assists, the most by a Loyola player this season.

Four of Williams’ assists came in the final 11:16 of the game as Loyola outscored Marist, 29-15, during that stretch.

Williams continued his solid play against Siena, dishing out four assists to go with six points and a career-high five steals.

Attacking The Offensive Glass

Loyola pulled down a season-high 25 offensive rebounds against Marist continuing a trend the Greyhounds have started this season. Loyola has posted 15 or more offensive boards in all but two game this year (13 at UMBC and Siena), and the Greyhounds have 135 total this season.

So far, Loyola has grabbed offensive rebounds on 51.3-percent of its missed shots (263).

Spreading The Wealth

Five Loyola players scored in double figures in the Marist contest, the second time this season (Coppin State) the Greyhounds have had five score 10 or more.

In the first seven games of the season, at least three Loyola players have scored 10 or more in every game, and in all but one, four or more have topped the 10-point mark.

In the Greyhounds’ January 30 victory last year over Iona, six players scored in double-figures, and the team’s top two scorers at the time did not even dress for the contest. It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Poll

In the December 5 edition of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, Loyola was one of three MAAC schools to be receiving votes. Iona was third in the current edition, while the Greyhounds were receiving 17 votes. Fairfield checked in just behind with seven.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Opponent

Run

Start

Finish

Coppin State

10-1, 4:26

31-32, 1:36 (1)

41-33, 17:11 (2)

UMBC

16-4, 8:08

35-31, 19:16 (2)

51-34, 11:08 (2)

FGCU

22-5, 6:53

15-16, 8:08 (1)

37-21, 1:11 (1)

Marist

9-0, 1:50

47-48, 11:16 (2)

56-48, 9:26 (2)

Marist

15-3, 5:47

61-57, 6:03 (2)

76-60, :16 (2)

Siena

13-0; 4:27

0-2, 19:28 (1)

13-2; 15:35 (1)

Geo. Wash.

17-0; 3:58

18-19, 6:28 (1)

34-19, 2:30 (1)

Olson Big On Both Ends Of The Court

Loyola trailed Florida Gulf Coast, 16-15, with 8:08 to play in the first half before Robert Olson tied the score with a free throw 18 ticks later. He then hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for the Greyhounds, going on a personal 7-0 run that put Loyola in front for good.

Olson later hit a three at the 4:38 mark as part of a 22-5 Greyhounds run, tallying all 10 of his first-half points in the span of 3:12.

Olson did not make a field goal in the second half, but he knocked down a pair of free throws with 83 seconds on the clock to put the Greyhounds up seven, and he made 1-of-2 from the stripe with 27 seconds left to make it a five-point game.

The junior guard also came up big on the defensive end, making two stops for the Greyhounds in the last minute and a half. He caused a Bernard Thompson turnover and logged a steal at 1:23, setting up the first of his two free throws, and he then blocked a Christophe Varidel 3-pointer with six seconds left, sealing the victory.

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Loyola All-Time Coaching Wins List

1.

349

Lefty Reitz

1937-1944, 1945-1961

2.

165

Nap Doherty

1961-1974

3.

105

Jimmy Patsos

2004-present

4.

85

Mark Amatucci

1982-1989

5.

72

Gary Dicovitsky

1976-1981

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Rebounding Advantage

It’s only been eight games, but Loyola is +66 in the rebounding column this year, averaging 8.3 more than its opponents per game.

The Greyhounds have outrebounded four teams by 13 or more, pulling down 22 more than Coppin State, 13 more than New Hampshire and George Washington and 25 more than Marist.

Two Over Twenty

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both hit, or exceeded, the 20-point plateau at UMBC with Etherly scoring 27 and Cormier chipping in 20.

It marked the first time since January 3, 2009, a stretch of 80 games, that a pair of Greyhounds scored 20 in the same game. On that date, Jamal Barney poured in 41 at Canisius, while Brett Harvey had 22.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Cormier At His Best Against City Competition

Dylon Cormier matched his career-high with 20 points on Monday night in the win over Coppin State, and he matched that total, also finished with that same total on Thursday against UMBC.

The pair of 20-point performances match his freshman-year high of 20, also against UMBC, in the second game of his collegiate career.

Through three games this season, Cormier is averaging 17.3 points after leading the Greyhounds with 13 in the opener against Wake Forest. He is shooting 51.6-percent (16-of-31) from the field, third on the team.

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

After playing a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games last weekend, and winning both, Loyola University Maryland will play the first of its final five non-conference games on Wednesday night. The Greyhounds will make the short trip to Washington, D.C., to face George Washington University at 7 o’clock at the Colonials’ Smith Center.

Bright Lights Of TV

Wednesday’s game is the second of three-straight the Greyhounds will play on television. MASN will air the game against the Colonials, as it will on Saturday when Loyola travels to Mount St. Mary’s.

At 6-1 through seven games, Loyola is off to its best start in school Division I history. The institution moved from Division II to I in 1981-1982, and previously, the program’s best start was 5-2 in 2005-2006, 1985-1986.

Solid MAAC Start

Loyola did something last week it had never accomplished in 22 previous seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Greyhounds went 2-0 in their first two league games, defeating Marist at home and Siena on the road.

The Greyhounds also won their conference opener for the first time since 2005-2006, marking just the fourth time in 23 seasons they were 1-0 in the MAAC.

Series History

Loyola and George Washington will meet for the 13th time when the teams take the floor on Wednesday, but the first time since the season-opener in 1990-1991.

The Greyhounds won that meeting, 87-78, in Reitz Arena, but the Colonials still hold a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series.

The teams first met on the hardwood during the 1912-1913 season and played that year, as well as twice during the following two seasons. They then faced off again in 1923-1924 and 1932-1933, but they did not resume the series until the 1972-1973 season.

Familiar Foe

Although Loyola Head Coach Jimmy Patsos has never coached against George Washington, his counterpart on the Colonials’ bench is no stranger. Mike Lonergan and Patsos played basketball together at nearby Catholic University for the late Jack Bruen, were college roommates and served in each other’s weddings.

Wednesday’s game will be the rubber-match of the to-date four-game series between Patsos and Lonegran. Both won a pair of games in the four meetings between Loyola and Vermont over the last four seasons when Lonergan was the coach of the Catamounts.

Last Time Out

The Greyhounds took a 16-4 advantage just over six minutes in against Siena on Saturday and never led by less than six from that point forward in a 66-59 MAAC victory.

Siena scored the first two points of the game 16 seconds in, but the Greyhounds scored the next 13 and did not allow the Saints to score for over four minutes. Loyola eventually went up by 13, 30-17, on a Dylon Cormier three 6:38 before the half.

In the second half, the Saints cut Loyola’s advantage to six on four occasions, but each time the Greyhounds scored next to go back up by eight or nine.

Cormier finished with a career-high 22 points, leading four Greyhounds in double figures. Erik Etherly had 11, while Shane Walker and Robert Olson each tallied 10.

Threes Starting To Fall

After starting the season cold from behind the 3-point arc – the Greyhounds made just 11-of-56 (.196) in their first four games – Loyola has made 22-of-50 (.440) in its last three contests.

The Greyhounds were 6-of-16 (.375) against Florida Gulf Coast, a season-best 8-of-15 (.533) in the Marist tilt and 8-of-19 (.421) at Siena.

Robert Olson led the way against the Eagles and Red Foxes, making 5-of-8, while Dylon Cormier was 5-of-6 against the Saints.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers on Saturday night, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Consistency Is The Key

Three Loyola players – Dylon Cormier (13, 20, 20, 16, 14, 15, 22), Shane Walker (12, 15, 12, 15, 10, 11, 10) and Erik Etherly (11, 15, 27, 11, 15, 14, 11) have scored in double figures in each of the Greyhounds’ seven games this season, something never accomplished by the same three players in the program’s Division I history.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

First Half Fireworks

Dylon Cormier scored a career-high 22 points on Saturday night at Siena, tallying half of the Greyhounds’ 30 points in the first half.

The sophomore guard entered the game shooting just .263 (5-of-19) from 3-point range in the year’s first six games, but he made all four of his attempts from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes. He finished 5-of-6 from long distance in the game.

R.J. Racks Up More Minutes

Freshman R.J. Williams made the third start of his young college career Thursday night against Marist, and for the first time, he led the team in minutes played.

Williams saw 31 minutes of action against the Red Foxes, matching the total played by Shane Walker for team-high honors, after playing 34 minutes last Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast.

With the increased playing time, Williams has also seen more productivity. After scoring eight points in the first four games of the season, he has scored eight in each of the last two. Against the Red Foxes, he finished with a career-high six assists, the most by a Loyola player this season.

Four of Williams’ assists came in the final 11:16 of the game as Loyola outscored Marist, 29-15, during that stretch.

Williams continued his solid play against Siena, dishing out four assists to go with six points and a career-high five steals.

Attacking The Offensive Glass

Loyola pulled down a season-high 25 offensive rebounds against Marist continuing a trend the Greyhounds have started this season. Loyola has posted 15 or more offensive boards in all but two game this year (13 at UMBC and Siena), and the Greyhounds have 118 total this season.

So far, Loyola has grabbed offensive rebounds on 50.2-percent of its missed shots (235).

Spreading The Wealth

Five Loyola players scored in double figures on Thursday night against Marist, the second time this season (Coppin State) the Greyhounds have had five score 10 or more.

In the first seven games of the season, at least three Loyola players have scored 10 or more in every game, and in all but one, four or more have topped the 10-point mark.

Three Greyhounds are averaging 11 or more points per game this year, and another is at 10.6, after seven finished the year averaging 8.1 or more last season.

In the Greyhounds’ January 30 victory last year over Iona, six players scored in double-figures, and the team’s top two scorers at the time did not even dress for the contest. It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Poll

In the November 28 edition of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, Loyola was one of three MAAC schools to be receiving votes. Iona was fourth in the current edition, while Fairfield is just outside the top 25 with 47 points. The Greyhounds are in the mix with 12 points.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Opponent

Run

Start

Finish

Coppin State

10-1, 4:26

31-32, 1:36 (1)

41-33, 17:11 (2)

UMBC

16-4, 8:08

35-31, 19:16 (2)

51-34, 11:08 (2)

FGCU

22-5, 6:53

15-16, 8:08 (1)

37-21, 1:11 (1)

Marist

9-0, 1:50

47-48, 11:16 (2)

56-48, 9:26 (2)

Marist

15-3, 5:47

61-57, 6:03 (2)

76-60, :16 (2)

Siena

13-0; 4:27

0-2, 19:28 (1)

13-2; 15:35 (1

First Time For Everything

The victory over Florida Gulf Coast was the first time in 2011-2012 that the Greyhounds have been outrebounded in a game this season. The Eagles controlled a slight 36-33 advantage on the boards. Florida Gulf Coast’s 17 offensive board were also the most by a Loyola opponent this season. The Eagles were, however, able to score on less than half of their offensive rebounds, converting them into just 16 second-chance points.

Olson Big On Both Ends Of The Court

Loyola trailed Florida Gulf Coast, 16-15, with 8:08 to play in the first half before Robert Olson tied the score with a free throw 18 ticks later. He then hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for the Greyhounds, going on a personal 7-0 run that put Loyola in front for good.

Olson later hit a three at the 4:38 mark as part of a 22-5 Greyhounds run, tallying all 10 of his first-half points in the span of 3:12.

Olson did not make a field goal in the second half, but he knocked down a pair of free throws with 83 seconds on the clock to put the Greyhounds up seven, and he made 1-of-2 from the stripe with 27 seconds left to make it a five-point game.

The junior guard also came up big on the defensive end, making two stops for the Greyhounds in the last minute and a half. He caused a Bernard Thompson turnover and logged a steal at 1:23, setting up the first of his two free throws, and he then blocked a Christophe Varidel 3-pointer with six seconds left, sealing the victory.

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Loyola All-Time Coaching Wins List

1.

349

Lefty Reitz

1937-1944, 1945-1961

2.

165

Nap Doherty

1961-1974

3.

104

Jimmy Patsos

2004-present

4.

85

Mark Amatucci

1982-1989

5.

72

Gary Dicovitsky

1976-1981

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Rebounding Advantage

It’s only been six games, but Loyola is +54 in the rebounding column this year, averaging 9.5 more than its opponents per game.

The Greyhounds have outrebounded three teams by 13 or more, pulling down 22 more than Coppin State, 13 more than New Hampshire and 25 more than Marist.

Two Over Twenty

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both hit, or exceeded, the 20-point plateau at UMBC with Etherly scoring 27 and Cormier chipping in 20.

It marked the first time since January 3, 2009, a stretch of 80 games, that a pair of Greyhounds scored 20 in the same game. On that date, Jamal Barney poured in 41 at Canisius, while Brett Harvey had 22.

Must Be The Mask

Just over a week after breaking his nose in practice, Erik Etherly scored a career-high 27 points at UMBC. The junior forward made 9-of-15 shots from the field and converted on 9-of-14 free throws while wearing a mask to protect his injured nose.

Etherly was injured in practice on Tuesday, November 8, and although he did not practice from that point until prior to the season-opener on November 11, he scored 11 points and had nine rebounds at Wake Forest.

He then returned to the starting lineup on Monday against Coppin State and scored 15 points while pulling down 11 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.

Thursday night at UMBC, Etherly had a game-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double in a row.

With 11 at New Hampshire and a team-best 15 against Florida Gulf Coast, Etherly has now scored in double-figures for 16-straight games, dating back to January 30, 2011. Prior to scoring 10 that night against Iona, Etherly was averaging 8.8 points in his first season with the Greyhounds, but he lifted his average to 10.8 by the end of the year.

In Loyola’s last 14 games, 11 to close 2010-2011 and three this year, Etherly is averaging 14.9 points per game, tops on the team.

Cormier To The Charity Stripe

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Cormier At His Best Against City Competition

Dylon Cormier matched his career-high with 20 points on Monday night in the win over Coppin State, and he matched that total, also finished with that same total on Thursday against UMBC.

The pair of 20-point performances match his freshman-year high of 20, also against UMBC, in the second game of his collegiate career.

Through three games this season, Cormier is averaging 17.3 points after leading the Greyhounds with 13 in the opener against Wake Forest. He is shooting 51.6-percent (16-of-31) from the field, third on the team.

Latham Granted NCAA Waiver For Immediate Eligibility

Sophomore transfer Jordan Latham was granted an NCAA waiver and will be immediately eligible to play for the Greyhounds in 2011-2012 rather than having to sit out the typical year-in-residency.

Latham returned to his home city when joining the Greyhounds. The 6-foot-8 forward played high school basketball a mere 2.5 miles from Loyola’s campus at the storied Baltimore City College, a high school that has produced two sitting U.S. Congressmen (Elijah Cummings, D-Md.; Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.) and a U.S. Senator (Ben Cardin D-Md.).

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Loyola is in the midst of a six-game road trip that will see them play games in four states and the District of Columbia.

On Saturday, Loyola will travel to Emmitsburg, Md., to take on Mount St. Mary’s in the most-played rivalry in the State of Maryland. The teams will square off for the 167th time in series history on MASN at 2 o’clock.

Comments Off on Loyola Looks To Extend Hot Start Wednesday at George Washington

Saturday marks the first road game of Loyola University Maryland’s 2011-2012 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule when the Greyhounds travel to Albany, N.Y., for a 7 o’clock game against Siena College.

The game will be played at the Times-Union Center in downtown Albany.

Streak Snapping

Loyola’s 76-63 victory over Marist on Thursday night snapped the Greyhounds’ five-game skid in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference openers. They are 1-0 in the league for the first time since 2005-2006.

Through Six

Loyola improved to 5-1 in 2011-2012 with its win over the Red Foxes, matching its best start through six games since the 2005-2006 season when the Greyhounds held the same record through six contests.

At 5-1, this Greyhounds’ team is tied for the best start in Loyola’s NCAA Division I history (the school joined Division I in 1981-1982). It is also tied for the fifth-best start in the 102 years of basketball at the school.

Series History

Saturday’s game will be the 53rd all-time meeting between Loyola and Siena with the Saints holding a 36-16 advantage in the all-time series.

In the last meeting, on February 7, 2011, Loyola snapped a six-game losing streak to Siena with a 76-69 victory at the Times-Union Center. Prior to the Saint’s six-game winning streak, Loyola won four in a row in the series.

Last season, the teams split, each winning on the other’s home court.

In the game at Siena, Justin Drummond made back-to-back threes to start a 12-0 Loyola run late in the game that saw the Saints lead by eight with just over 12 minutes to play. Five Loyola players scored in double-figures, led by 15 from both Robert Olson and Erik Etherly. Shane Walker and Drummond both tallied 13, and J’hared Hall contributed 11.

Television In The Empire State

Loyola fans in the state of New York can watch the game on Time-Warner Cable Sports. It will air in the Albany area, as well as in New York City, the Hudson Valley, Central and Northern New York.

Last Time Out

Loyola used second-half runs of 9-0 and 15-3 to rally from as many as seven down against Marist and defeat the Red Foxes, 76-63, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Thursday night in Reitz Arena.

R.J. Williams picked the pocket of Marist’s Devin Price and fed Robert Olson who knocked down a shot from 16 feet to put Loyola in front, 49-48, with 11:16 remaining. After a turnaround jumper by Erik Etherly and two Red Foxes misses, Olson drained a three to extend Loyola’s advantage to six, 54-48, with 10:22 on the clock. The teams traded turnovers before Isaiah Morton missed on the offensive end for Marist, and Justin Drummond dunked for Loyola to cap the 9-0 run.

Marist twice cut the Loyola advantage to four, the second time with 6:03 left, but Olson canned another three, sparking the 15-3 run that allowed the Greyhounds to pull away for good.

Dylon Cormier led five Greyhounds in double figures with 15 points, while Etherly had 14 and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the year. Drummond also had 14, while Shane Walker and Olson each added 11.

Threes Starting To Fall

After starting the season cold from behind the 3-point arc – the Greyhounds made just 11-of-56 (.196) in their first four games – Loyola made 14-of-31 (.452) in its last two contests.

The Greyhounds were 6-of-16 (.375) against Florida Gulf Coast, and they were then a season-best 8-of-15 (.533) form behind the arc in the Marist tilt.

Robert Olson has led the improved shooting in the two games, making 5-of-8, while Justin Drummond is 3-of-6, and R.J. Williams is 2-of-3.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

Doubled Up

Erik Etherly recorded his third double-double of the season on Thursday night against Marist, going for 14 points and 10 rebounds. Loyola is 3-0 in the games this season when Etherly has a double-double after going 2-3 last season when he accomplished the feat.

Through six games, Etherly is second on the Greyhounds in scoring (15.5 ppg) and tops in rebounding (8.7 rpg).

R.J. Racks Up More Minutes

Freshman R.J. Williams made the third start of his young college career Thursday night against Marist, and for the first time, he led the team in minutes played.

Williams saw 31 minutes of action, matching the total played by Shane Walker for team-high honors, after playing 34 minutes last Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast.

With the increased playing time, Williams has also seen more productivity. After scoring eight points in the first four games of the season, he has scored eight in each of the last two. Against the Red Foxes, he finished with a career-high six assists, the most by a Loyola player this season.

Four of Williams’ assists came in the final 11:16 of the game as Loyola outscored Marist, 29-15, during that stretch.

Attacking The Offensive Glass

Loyola pulled down a season-high 25 offensive rebounds Thursday night, continuing a trend the Greyhounds have started this season. Loyola has posted 15 or more offensive boards in all but one game this year (13 at UMBC), and the Greyhounds have 105 total this season.

So far, Loyola has grabbed offensive rebounds on 53.3-percent of its missed shots (197).

Spreading The Wealth

Five Loyola players scored in double figures on Thursday night against Marist, the second time this season (Coppin State) the Greyhounds have had five score 10 or more.

In the first six games of the season, at least three Loyola players have scored 10 or more in every game. In all but one, four or more have topped the 10-point mark.

Four Greyhounds are averaging 11 or more points per game this year after seven finished the year averaging 8.1 or more last season.

In the Greyhounds’ January 30 victory last year over Iona, six players scored in double-figures, and the team’s top two scorers at the time did not even dress for the contest. It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Poll

In the November 28 edition of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, Loyola was one of three MAAC schools to be receiving votes. Iona was fourth in the current edition, while Fairfield is just outside the top 25 with 47 points. The Greyhounds are in the mix with 12 points.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

Opponent

Run

Start

Finish

Coppin State

10-1, 4:26

31-32, 1:36 (1)

41-33, 17:11 (2)

UMBC

16-4, 8:08

35-31, 19:16 (2)

51-34, 11:08 (2)

FGCU

22-5, 6:53

15-16, 8:08 (1)

37-21, 1:11 (1)

Marist

9-0, 1:50

47-48, 11:16 (2)

56-48, 9:26 (2)

Marist

15-3, 5:47

61-57, 6:03 (2)

76-60, :16 (2)

First Time For Everything

Sunday’s victory over Florida Gulf Coast was the first time in 2011-2012 that the Greyhounds have been outrebounded in a game this season. The Eagles controlled a slight 36-33 advantage on the boards. Florida Gulf Coast’s 17 offensive board were also the most by a Loyola opponent this season. The Eagles were, however, able to score on less than half of their offensive rebounds, converting them into just 16 second-chance points.

Olson Big On Both Ends Of The Court

Loyola trailed Florida Gulf Coast, 16-15, with 8:08 to play in the first half before Robert Olson tied the score with a free throw 18 ticks later. He then hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for the Greyhounds, going on a personal 7-0 run that put Loyola in front for good.

Olson later hit a three at the 4:38 mark as part of a 22-5 Greyhounds run, tallying all 10 of his first-half points in the span of 3:12.

Olson did not make a field goal in the second half, but he knocked down a pair of free throws with 83 seconds on the clock to put the Greyhounds up seven, and he made 1-of-2 from the stripe with 27 seconds left to make it a five-point game.

The junior guard also came up big on the defensive end, making two stops for the Greyhounds in the last minute and a half. He caused a Bernard Thompson turnover and logged a steal at 1:23, setting up the first of his two free throws, and he then blocked a Christophe Varidel 3-pointer with six seconds left, sealing the victory.

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Loyola All-Time Coaching Wins List

1.

349

Lefty Reitz

1937-1944, 1945-1961

2.

165

Nap Doherty

1961-1974

3.

102

Jimmy Patsos

2004-present

4.

85

Mark Amatucci

1982-1989

5.

72

Gary Dicovitsky

1976-1981

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Rebounding Advantage

It’s only been six games, but Loyola is +54 in the rebounding column this year, averaging 9.5 more than its opponents per game.

The Greyhounds have outrebounded three teams by 13 or more, pulling down 22 more than Coppin State, 13 more than New Hampshire and 25 more than Marist.

Two Over Twenty

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both hit, or exceeded, the 20-point plateau at UMBC with Etherly scoring 27 and Cormier chipping in 20.

It marked the first time since January 3, 2009, a stretch of 80 games, that a pair of Greyhounds scored 20 in the same game. On that date, Jamal Barney poured in 41 at Canisius, while Brett Harvey had 22.

Must Be The Mask

Just over a week after breaking his nose in practice, Erik Etherly scored a career-high 27 points at UMBC. The junior forward made 9-of-15 shots from the field and converted on 9-of-14 free throws while wearing a mask to protect his injured nose.

Etherly was injured in practice on Tuesday, November 8, and although he did not practice from that point until prior to the season-opener on November 11, he scored 11 points and had nine rebounds at Wake Forest.

He then returned to the starting lineup on Monday against Coppin State and scored 15 points while pulling down 11 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.

Thursday night at UMBC, Etherly had a game-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double in a row.

With 11 at New Hampshire and a team-best 15 against Florida Gulf Coast, Etherly has now scored in double-figures for 16-straight games, dating back to January 30, 2011. Prior to scoring 10 that night against Iona, Etherly was averaging 8.8 points in his first season with the Greyhounds, but he lifted his average to 10.8 by the end of the year.

In Loyola’s last 14 games, 11 to close 2010-2011 and three this year, Etherly is averaging 14.9 points per game, tops on the team.

Cormier To The Charity Stripe

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Cormier At His Best Against City Competition

Dylon Cormier matched his career-high with 20 points on Monday night in the win over Coppin State, and he matched that total, also finished with that same total on Thursday against UMBC.

The pair of 20-point performances match his freshman-year high of 20, also against UMBC, in the second game of his collegiate career.

Through three games this season, Cormier is averaging 17.3 points after leading the Greyhounds with 13 in the opener against Wake Forest. He is shooting 51.6-percent (16-of-31) from the field, third on the team.

Olson Provides Late-Game Punch

Robert Olson knocked down 3-pointers on consecutive possessions with 5:18 and 4:51 to go in the second half against Coppin State, extending Loyola’s lead to 11. He also made 3-of-4 free throws in the last 90 seconds against Florida Gulf Coast, had a steal and blocked a shot with six ticks on the clock.

Last season, Olson made it somewhat of a habit to hit bit shots late in games. In an overtime win against Iona, Olson drained a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game with 7.2 seconds remaining and force overtime. He then made a driving layup with 41.4 left in extra time to give Loyola the lead for good.

Earlier in the year, he scored 19 points in the final 8:22 of the Greyhounds’ win over Marist, and he scored nine points in 83 ticks of the clock at Morgan State to give Loyola the lead for the remainder of the game.

Latham Granted NCAA Waiver For Immediate Eligibility

Sophomore transfer Jordan Latham was granted an NCAA waiver and will be immediately eligible to play for the Greyhounds in 2011-2012 rather than having to sit out the typical year-in-residency.

Latham returned to his home city when joining the Greyhounds. The 6-foot-8 forward played high school basketball a mere 2.5 miles from Loyola’s campus at the storied Baltimore City College, a high school that has produced two sitting U.S. Congressmen (Elijah Cummings, D-Md.; Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.) and a U.S. Senator (Ben Cardin D-Md.).

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

The game at Siena is the first of six-straight away from Reitz Arena where the Greyhounds will not return to until January 2. Next up is a 7 o’clock game on Wednesday, December 7 at George Washington in nearby Washington, D.C.

Loyola University Maryland opens its 23rd season of competition in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference on Thursday when it hosts the Marist College Red Foxes at 7:30 p.m. in Reitz Arena.

The Greyhounds will look to reverse a historical trend in the game, as they are just 3-19 all-time in their first MAAC games.

Through Five

With a 77-74 victory on Sunday over Florida Gulf Coast, Loyola improved to 4-1 in 2011-2012, its best start through five games since the 2005-2006 season when the Greyhounds won their first five in Head Coach Jimmy Patsos’ second year with the program. The Greyhounds’ fifth victory of the year that season was also the last win in a MAAC opener, a 90-85 overtime triumph at Fairfield.

Series History

Thursday will mark the 50th time that Marist and Loyola have met on the basketball hardwood. The Red Foxes hold a 27-22 advantage in the previous 49 meetings, but Loyola has won the last six in the series and seven of the last eight.

Last season, the Greyhounds swept the season series, winning 83-67 in Reitz Arena and 75-69 in Poughkeepsie.

Robert Olson averaged 19.0 points in the two wins last season, scoring 21 at Marist after tallying 17 at home. At the McCann Center on Marist’s campus, Olson scored all 19 of his second-half points in the game’s final 8:22.

Shane Walker averaged 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds against the Red Foxes last season, leading all players with 19 points at home.

Free Webstreaming

All non-televised home contests, will be broadcast free of charge on Hounds Unleashed, the broadcast arm of LoyolaGreyhounds.com. The games will be available on computers and most smart phone devices.

Last Time Out

Anthony Winbush made two free throws with 11.1 seconds left to give Loyola a 77-74 lead over Florida Gulf Coast, and Robert Olson blocked an Eagles’ 3-point attempt on the ensuing possession to seal the Greyhounds fourth-straight win.

Loyola went on a 22-5 run that covered almost seven minutes of first half action to lead by as many as 16 and ultimately 13 at halftime. Florida Gulf Coast, however, trimmed Loyola’s advantage to four less than six minutes into the second half.

Loyola then led by 11, 60-49, after two Shane Walker free throws with 6:32 remaining before the Eagles cut it to three with a 3-pointer with 44 ticks left. Dylon Cormier and Olson each made 1-of-2 from the line, sandwiched around an unforced Eagles turnover, but Chase Fieler got an offensive rebound and converted it for two with 20 seconds left.

R.J. Williams hit 1-of-2 free throws a second later, and Bernard Thompson knocked down a three to make it a one-point game, setting up Winbush’s free throws.

Erik Etherly made 7-of-10 field goals and led the Greyhounds with 15 points, while Cormier had 14 and Olson 13.

First Time For Everything

Sunday’s victory over Florida Gulf Coast was the first time in 2011-2012 that the Greyhounds have been outrebounded in a game. The Eagles controlled a slight 36-33 advantage on the boards. Florida Gulf Coast’s 17 offensive board were also the most by a Loyola opponent this season. The Eagles were, however, able to score on less than half of their offensive rebounds, converting them into just 16 second-chance points.

Olson Big On Both Ends Of The Court

Loyola trailed Florida Gulf Coast, 16-15, with 8:08 to play in the first half before Robert Olson tied the score with a free throw 18 ticks later. He then hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for the Greyhounds, going on a personal 7-0 run that put Loyola in front for good.

Olson later hit a three at the 4:38 mark as part of a 22-5 Greyhounds run, tallying all 10 of his first-half points in the span of 3:12.

Olson did not make a field goal in the second half, but he knocked down a pair of free throws with 83 seconds on the clock to put the Greyhounds up seven, and he made 1-of-2 from the stripe with 27 seconds left to make it a five-point game.

The junior guard also came up big on the defensive end, making two stops for the Greyhounds in the last minute and a half. He caused a Bernard Thompson turnover and logged a steal at 1:23, setting up the first of his two free throws, and he then blocked a Christophe Varidel 3-pointer with six seconds left, sealing the victory.

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Three In A Week

Loyola won three games last week, defeating Coppin State on Monday, UMBC Thursday and New Hampshire Sunday. It marked the first time since the 2008-2009 season that the team has won three games in a calendar week. The Greyhounds last accomplished the feat with wins over NJIT, Manhattan and Marist, starting Wednesday, January 14, 2009, and culminating Sunday, January 18. Those three victories were the first half of a six-game Loyola winning streak.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a five-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in six-consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds have not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola also was 3-1 during that stretch.

Attacking The Offensive Glass

Against Florida Gulf Coast, Loyola had 15 offensive rebounds and scored 17 second-chance points. This season, Loyola has 80 offensive rebounds, led by Justin Drummond’s 16, and in five games the Greyhounds are pulling down boards on the offensive end after exactly 50-percent of their missed shots.

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Loyola All-Time Coaching Wins List

1.

349

Lefty Reitz

1937-1944, 1945-1961

2.

165

Nap Doherty

1961-1974

3.

102

Jimmy Patsos

2004-present

4.

85

Mark Amatucci

1982-1989

5.

72

Gary Dicovitsky

1976-1981

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Defensively Different

Loyola came back from a four-point halftime deficit to outscore New Hampshire by 10 in the second half last Sunday thanks to increased defensive pressure along the perimeter.

The Greyhounds did not allow a Wildcat player to score more than five points in the second half, and Loyola also limited New Hampshire’s scoring chances by outrebounding the Wildcats 21-14 after the break.

Rebounding Advantage

It’s only been five games, but Loyola is +39 in the rebounding column this year, averaging 7.8 more than its opponents per game.

The Greyhounds have outrebounded two teams by 13 or more, pulling down 22 more than Coppin State and 13 more than New Hampshire.

Two Over Twenty

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both hit, or exceeded, the 20-point plateau at UMBC with Etherly scoring 27 and Cormier chipping in 20.

It marked the first time since January 3, 2009, a stretch of 80 games, that a pair of Greyhounds scored 20 in the same game. On that date, Jamal Barney poured in 41 at Canisius, while Brett Harvey had 22.

Must Be The Mask

Just over a week after breaking his nose in practice, Erik Etherly scored a career-high 27 points at UMBC. The junior forward made 9-of-15 shots from the field and converted on 9-of-14 free throws while wearing a mask to protect his injured nose.

Etherly was injured in practice on Tuesday, November 8, and although he did not practice from that point until prior to the season-opener on November 11, he scored 11 points and had nine rebounds at Wake Forest.

He then returned to the starting lineup on Monday against Coppin State and scored 15 points while pulling down 11 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.

Thursday night at UMBC, Etherly had a game-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double in a row.

With 11 at New Hampshire and a team-best 15 against Florida Gulf Coast, Etherly has now scored in double-figures for 16-straight games, dating back to January 30, 2011. Prior to scoring 10 that night against Iona, Etherly was averaging 8.8 points in his first season with the Greyhounds, but he lifted his average to 10.8 by the end of the year.

In Loyola’s last 14 games, 11 to close 2010-2011 and three this year, Etherly is averaging 14.9 points per game, tops on the team.

Cormier To The Charity Stripe

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Cormier At His Best Against City Competition

Dylon Cormier matched his career-high with 20 points on Monday night in the win over Coppin State, and he matched that total, also finished with that same total on Thursday against UMBC.

The pair of 20-point performances match his freshman-year high of 20, also against UMBC, in the second game of his collegiate career.

Through three games this season, Cormier is averaging 17.3 points after leading the Greyhounds with 13 in the opener against Wake Forest. He is shooting 51.6-percent (16-of-31) from the field, third on the team.

Who To Guard?

Loyola’s offensive balance has carried over from last year in the first five games of the 2011-2012 season. A year ago, seven players averaged 8.1 points or better per game in 2010-2011. Additionally nine players dropped 10 or more points in a game, and six of those tallied 20 or more.

In the Greyhounds’ January 30 victory over Iona, six players scored in double-figures, and the team’s top two scorers at the time did not even dress for the contest. It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

This season, the Greyhounds have seen at least four players score in double-figures in all five games.

Bush Is Back

Anthony Winbush returned to the court in the season-opener at Wake Forest after missing most of the 2010-2011 season with a medical redshirt. After tearing his right ACL midway through his sophomore season in 2009-2010, Winbush came back to play in eight games last season before suffering another knee injury.

Winbush received a medical hardship waiver and retained a year of eligibility – he is currently a fourth-year junior athletically – and his return to the lineup has buoyed the Greyhounds on both ends of the court.

One of the team’s top defenders, Winbush led the team in plus-minus statistics by a wide margin against Coppin State. During the 20-minutes, 47-seconds he was on the court against the Eagles, Loyola outscored Coppin State, 55-28 (+27). Then, on Thursday night against UMBC, he had a plus-minus of +11 (57-46) in 26 minutes of action.

Olson Provides Late-Game Punch

Robert Olson knocked down 3-pointers on consecutive possessions with 5:18 and 4:51 to go in the second half against Coppin State, extending Loyola’s lead to 11. He also made 3-of-4 free throws in the last 90 seconds against Florida Gulf Coast, had a steal and blocked a shot with six ticks on the clock.

Last season, Olson made it somewhat of a habit to hit bit shots late in games. In an overtime win against Iona, Olson drained a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game with 7.2 seconds remaining and force overtime. He then made a driving layup with 41.4 left in extra time to give Loyola the lead for good.

Earlier in the year, he scored 19 points in the final 8:22 of the Greyhounds’ win over Marist, and he scored nine points in 83 ticks of the clock at Morgan State to give Loyola the lead for the remainder of the game.

Fresh Faces

The Greyhounds welcome three new players to the roster for 2011-2012: sophomore transfer Jordan Latham and freshmen Tyler Hubbard and R.J. Williams.

Latham joins the Greyhounds after spending his first collegiate season at Xavier where he saw action in 16 games for the Musketeers.

Hubbard led the Washington, D.C., metro area in 3-pointers made as a senior at Montrose Christian High School last year with 80, and he averaged 12.7 points per game. A team captain for Coach Stu Vetter last season, Hubbard helped the Mustangs finish No. 2 in the Powerade Fab 50 National Basketball Rankings after they won the ESPNRise National High School Invitational.

Williams is another close-to-home product for Loyola, joining Latham and Dylon Cormier as players on the roster who hail from Baltimore City. Williams led St. Frances Academy to the Championship Game of the MIAA and Baltimore Catholic League playoffs, earning Baltimore Catholic League Co-Player of the Year honors. Williams closed his high school career with 1,021 points and 814 assists and earned a spot on last year’s Baltimore Sun All-Metro First Team.

Latham made his first collegiate start against Wake Forest and saw 11 minutes of action. Williams came off the bench and scored three points while grabbing three rebounds in 16 minutes.

Latham Granted NCAA Waiver For Immediate Eligibility

Sophomore transfer Jordan Latham was granted an NCAA waiver and will be immediately eligible to play for the Greyhounds in 2011-2012 rather than having to sit out the typical year-in-residency.

Latham returned to his home city when joining the Greyhounds. The 6-foot-8 forward played high school basketball a mere 2.5 miles from Loyola’s campus at the storied Baltimore City College, a high school that has produced two sitting U.S. Congressmen (Elijah Cummings, D-Md.; Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.) and a U.S. Senator (Ben Cardin D-Md.).

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Coaches in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference picked Loyola to finish third in the league race this season as the Greyhounds garnered 76 points in the preseason poll. Iona received eight of 10 first-place votes, and 97 overall, to take top honors, while Fairfield nabbed the other two first-place nods and 92 points for second. Loyola was slotted just ahead of Rider (71), while the Broncs had considerable separation over fifth-place Saint Peter’s (52), last year’s MAAC champion.

A pair of Loyola post players, senior Shane Walker and junior Erik Etherly, were recognized on the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team by the conference’s coaches. Walker led Loyola with 11.1 points per game a year ago, while Etherly topped the side with 7.6 rebounds.

What’s Next?

Loyola heads on the road for the first of six-straight games away from Reitz Arena that will keep them out of Baltimore until January 2. First up is a MAAC test at the Times-Union Center in Albany, N.Y., against Siena on Saturday at 7 p.m.

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